Savannah Region: Damongo MP procures anti-snake serums to support hospital

The Member of Parliament for Damongo constituency, Adam Mutawakilu has procured Anti-Snake Venoms as part of efforts to augment the West Gonja Catholic Hospital to properly handle snake bite cases in his constituency.

A total of 30 vials of the Anti-Snake Serum have been acquired by the MP's office at a cost of Ghc12,000.00 to be administered at no cost to victims of snake bites.

The intervention is intended to ameliorate the financial plight of patients suffering from snake bite cases.

In an interview with PAD FM's Ananpansah B Abraham,special aide to the MP,
Mr.Issifu Kudus disclosed that, even though,the drugs were yet to be delivered to the hospital, more than eight vials have already been administered to three patients on admission at the hospital;two from Damongo and one from Bole.

This translates to thousands of Ghana cedis in monetary terms.
He said this was the first phase of the intervention and that,the next phase was to ensure the supply of the Anitevenoms to the Laribanga and Busunu clinics.

The Anti-snake venom is the single most effective antidote for snake Venom.Not only is the Antivenom expensive but also in short supply most of the time,a situation clearly evident in the West Gonja Catholic hospital in the Northern Region.

The vaccine is a program drug supposed to be administered for free,but in most of the cases, passes through the system and end up in private hands somehow,and sold to patients at cut-throat prices.

It can be recollected that,months ago,Ghanawebs' Ananpansah B Abraham carried a comprehensive report on the plight of patients suffering from snake bites in the Northern part of Ghana in the raining season due to the flooding of snake burrows and appealed to stakeholders to intervene.

The surge in cases of snake bites during this season as contained in his report,were mostly recorded in rural communities in the North as a result of farming activities and shea nut picking,but the Anti-snake Venom is in short supply in these areas.

Nzemba Moses from Bawuna,a farming community in the North Gonja District who was taking care of his middle aged brother on admission for snake bite at the hospital narrated his ordeal to the writer.

According to Moses,he had to spend Ghc1,600.00 purchasing the Antivenoms to safe the life of his brother with each vial costing him Ghc300 at the time.

He disclosed he and his brother had to 'squeeze' the money to purchase the Anti-Snake Venom from their little savings and borrowing from relatives and friends.

Out of financial frustration,Moses wrote to the hospital requesting that his brother be discharged so they can go home and continue with the local treatment. His reason being that they had spent enough and were cash-strapped, and couldn't afford even a single night of the bed fee in the facility any longer.

The story of Moses and his brother, Mahama Baffo -the victim of the snake bite is just one out of the many.

The affected patients when spoken to, appealed to the government to respond promptly to the requisition of the hospital management and check the leakage of the vaccine in the open market.

Checks by the reporter revealed that the vaccine, even though, needed most at the rural areas considering the season which happen to be their season of gathering is rather prioritised in terms of supply at the centre and hardly gets to such areas most needed.